Zapotecs are an Indigenous group in Oaxaca with an incredible breadth and depth of culture. There are about 100 variations of the language. This page feature working notes on Zapotec culture, including language, traditional dance and food. Suggestions are welcome.
nit - agua - water
cob - masa - corn meal
yin, toznana, nanzoza - picante - spicy
uye udobol (yeah doh bua) - flor de muerto - marigold
udobol - muerto - dead
chocolat - chocolate - chocolate
nit cob - atole - atole
jamaic - jamaica - hibiscus
nit jamaica - agua de jamaica - jamaica drink
yaall - milpa - farm
yu'u - tierra/casa - earth/home
yii - popo - shit
retnalud - excuse me - con permiso
shidd - pina - pineapple
ndrash - naranjo - orange
mbel - pescado - fish
mbin - arete - earring
mbiin - pajaro - bird
nso mbiin lo llaba - hay un pajaro en el árbol - there is a bird in the tree
nde - elote - corn
nsob - maiz - corn
yaa - arbol - tree
yec - flor - flower
luth - pequeno - small
nawe - bonito/hermoso - beautiful
nawe luth - pequeno es bonito - small is beautiful
mbio - muchacho - boy
gol - muchacha - girl
nawesoss - hermoso - gorgeous
utta di diba - me da otra - give me another
utta di chopa - me da dos - give me two
itmi - dinero - money
upes - moneda - coin
cach - cuerno - horn
yid mbi - globo - balloon
cuan guaa - na - que quieres comer - what would you like to eat?
cuan gua na - que queres tomar - what would you like to drink?
ndiana - quiero comer - i would like to eat
ndionla - quieres comer? - would you like to eat?
ndiango - quieren comer? - would you like to eat?
ndiansosna - tengo mucho hambre - i am very hungry
mbup - armadillo - armadillo
se msinla - ya llegaste - you arrived
se msinna - he regresado - i have returned
pón da? - donde vas? - where are you going?
mbeu - tortuga - turtle
nsid - ardilla - squirrel
mnsin - venado - deer
mmsinlaasha - ya llegaron
naac tontalu - no seas tonto - don't be silly
naac nde yis la lu - no seas sangron - don't be that guy
may nde - como estas? - how are you? (said to men)
may msa - como estas? - how are you? (said to women)
gunne - salud! - cheers
De sur de Emilio
Shomo Lee Chuta - Como te llamas - what is your name?
Zapoteco de Etla
Tu Zhu Dizhee - Hay calor - It's hot
Zapoteco de Alicia de Albarradas
Nup - Aguamiel
Guish - Delicious
Ay yek ka - Regreso - I'll be back
Ya vek ka - He regresado - I'm back
Zapoteco de la Sierra Juárez (Elvira y Tomas) (yuvan)
ghit - huevos - eggs
nakerzu - como estas? - how are you?
suagee - bien - fine
Güenu zsagnu? - Quieres ser mi novia? - Would you like to be my girlfriend?
Chizú guedu - Te vas? - Are you leaving now? (response is chizú guedua)
Nestán - Toilet
cánac - asi es
usagru shu - hasta manana
runchanze - peevish; flirt - coscolino
grei - sientate - sit down
Ven zhan lachu - Con permiso - Excuse me
Miel - Buchiu (Ziuey) - Honey
Yetgu - Tamal - Tamal
Luyey quie Luaa' - Mercados de Oaxaca - Oaxaca Markets
Melad - Miel de caña - Molasses
Yetj - Caña - Sugarcane
Brúss - Guajalote
Bráa - Guajalota
Zapoteco del Istmo
chi’tal chá¿cómo estas? how are you
rari sí - aqui, nada más - fine
diux - saludos - hello
diux quixeli - gracias - thank you
shigrgueta - jilcapextle - jilcapextle
gueta - tortilla
shig - jicara
dius quishe peli - gracias - thank you
diosquidexly - gracias - thank you
Nanisha - sabroso - delicious
scarulu - bonita - pretty
lula'a - oaxaca - oaxaca
guendarau - comida - food
tu lalo - como te llamas - what is your name?
gudan - ven, vente - come here
padelii - de donde eres - where are you from?
nizado - mar - sea
niza - agua - water
ubdo - platano - banana
mbich - rana - frog
gueta - tortilla - tortilla
xhaiba - cielo - sky
beuu - luna - moon
gubidxel - sol - sun
nadxieli - te quiero - i love you - ich liebe dich
na - yo - I
li - tu - you
lube - el o elle - he or shee
lanu - nosotros - we
lacabe - ellos - they
latu - ustedes - you (plural)
naroba - grande - big
winni - chico - small
chunco - youngest child
ben da' - pescado - fish
bendahua - camaron - shrimp
na' nishe - delicioso - delicious
Zapoteco de Yalalag
yet - tortilla
nis - agua
za - frijol
wi - naranjo
yellay - platano - banana
ka - no
yai - palo
senso - salud
aushkayo - gracias
Tlalixtac
nazie - sabroso - delicious
???
nachsu - como estas - how are you?
shua chia - estoy bien - i am fine
iPadio
Quotes
"To a Zapotec the celestial bodies are not inanimate. They are not referred to with the inanimate pronoun. The Stars and the Moon are referred to with the third person animal pronoun. The Sun is referred to with the third person respect pronoun. In men's speech this pronoun is reserved for women of higher social rank than the speaker and for God. Of course, it is possible for a noun to belong to a gender class to which it is not semantically suited. But such is not the case for the word for Sun. Its gender affiliation is not accidental, but is semantically based.
The full Texmelucan Zapotec expression for Sun is 'doo güidz.' 'güidz' is the word that is cognate with the words for Sun in other Zapotecan languages. It occurs in only one other expression: the word for Mexico City, 'ru-güidz', which means literally 'the mouth of the Sun.'"
Often the Sun is simply referred to in the shortened form of the expression, as 'doo.' 'doo' refers to the class of supernatural beings I translate 'fairy.' For 'The Seven Kinds of Rain' and 'Matlaziwa' I argued that this word is an ancient word for God. Even today some people treat the Sun as a God. They put out flowers and light candles before it. They cross themselves when the Sun comes up, and they cross themselves when it goes down."
-Charles H. Speck, Zapotec Oral Literature"
Folklore Texts in Mexican Indian Languages IV, Pages 171-172
Misc
Conquista de la Sierra
Cuento tradicional en zapoteco de la Sierra Sur - Cuento del Conejo y del Coyote
related: indigenous, saludosediting: Zapotec
Zapotecs are an Indigenous group in Oaxaca with an incredible breadth and depth of culture. There are about 100 variations of the language. This page feature working notes on Zapotec culture, including language, traditional dance and food. Suggestions are welcome.
Facebook
Dixha Xhon Dixha BanFlickr
Familia MendozaFlickr Groups
Zapoteca! Regiones y culturasZapoteca
Istmo de Tehuantepec
Twitter
@TeotitlanDValle@BnZunni
@ISF_MX
YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/BnZunniWiki
danza de la plumaZapoteco de Teotitlán del Valle
Wikipedia
Zapotec civilizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocijo
Headlines
http://bulletin.swarthmore.edu/spring-2017-issue-iii-volume-cxiv/zapotec-talking-dictionaryTuxTyping dedizh diiste / TuxTyping en Zapoteco
http://www.pri.org/stories/politics-society/los-angeles-immigrant-community-pushes-to-keep-zapotec-language-alive-14648.html
http://linguistics.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199384655.001.0001/acrefore-9780199384655-e-73
Elsewhere on the Web
Zapotecos del MundoTicha
http://zapotecinoaxaca.weebly.com - http://zapotecinoaxaca.weebly.com/1/post/2013/06/meanwhile-in-los-angeles.html
Talking Dictionary
http://talkingdictionary.swarthmore.edu/zapotec
El Reloj
counting
juchitan
Translating
Chocolate Atole - Ciab Guez (Teotitlan del Valle), Bupu (Juchitan)Greetings and Wordlists
Zapoteco de Teotitlán del ValleZapoteco de la Costa (Tavita)
nit - agua - watercob - masa - corn meal
yin, toznana, nanzoza - picante - spicy
uye udobol (yeah doh bua) - flor de muerto - marigold
udobol - muerto - dead
chocolat - chocolate - chocolate
nit cob - atole - atole
jamaic - jamaica - hibiscus
nit jamaica - agua de jamaica - jamaica drink
yaall - milpa - farm
yu'u - tierra/casa - earth/home
yii - popo - shit
retnalud - excuse me - con permiso
shidd - pina - pineapple
ndrash - naranjo - orange
mbel - pescado - fish
mbin - arete - earring
mbiin - pajaro - bird
nso mbiin lo llaba - hay un pajaro en el árbol - there is a bird in the tree
nde - elote - corn
nsob - maiz - corn
yaa - arbol - tree
yec - flor - flower
luth - pequeno - small
nawe - bonito/hermoso - beautiful
nawe luth - pequeno es bonito - small is beautiful
mbio - muchacho - boy
gol - muchacha - girl
nawesoss - hermoso - gorgeous
utta di diba - me da otra - give me another
utta di chopa - me da dos - give me two
itmi - dinero - money
upes - moneda - coin
cach - cuerno - horn
yid mbi - globo - balloon
cuan guaa - na - que quieres comer - what would you like to eat?
cuan gua na - que queres tomar - what would you like to drink?
ndiana - quiero comer - i would like to eat
ndionla - quieres comer? - would you like to eat?
ndiango - quieren comer? - would you like to eat?
ndiansosna - tengo mucho hambre - i am very hungry
mbup - armadillo - armadillo
se msinla - ya llegaste - you arrived
se msinna - he regresado - i have returned
pón da? - donde vas? - where are you going?
mbeu - tortuga - turtle
nsid - ardilla - squirrel
mnsin - venado - deer
mmsinlaasha - ya llegaron
naac tontalu - no seas tonto - don't be silly
naac nde yis la lu - no seas sangron - don't be that guy
may nde - como estas? - how are you? (said to men)
may msa - como estas? - how are you? (said to women)
gunne - salud! - cheers
De sur de Emilio
Shomo Lee Chuta - Como te llamas - what is your name?
Zapoteco de Etla
Tu Zhu Dizhee - Hay calor - It's hotZapoteco de Alicia de Albarradas
Nup - AguamielGuish - Delicious
Ay yek ka - Regreso - I'll be back
Ya vek ka - He regresado - I'm back
Zapoteco de la Sierra Juárez (Elvira y Tomas) (yuvan)
ghit - huevos - eggsnakerzu - como estas? - how are you?
suagee - bien - fine
Güenu zsagnu? - Quieres ser mi novia? - Would you like to be my girlfriend?
Chizú guedu - Te vas? - Are you leaving now? (response is chizú guedua)
Nestán - Toilet
cánac - asi es
usagru shu - hasta manana
runchanze - peevish; flirt - coscolino
grei - sientate - sit down
Ven zhan lachu - Con permiso - Excuse me
Miel - Buchiu (Ziuey) - Honey
Yetgu - Tamal - Tamal
Luyey quie Luaa' - Mercados de Oaxaca - Oaxaca Markets
Melad - Miel de caña - Molasses
Yetj - Caña - Sugarcane
Brúss - Guajalote
Bráa - Guajalota
Zapoteco del Istmo
chi’tal chá¿cómo estas? how are yourari sí - aqui, nada más - fine
diux - saludos - hello
diux quixeli - gracias - thank you
shigrgueta - jilcapextle - jilcapextle
gueta - tortilla
shig - jicara
dius quishe peli - gracias - thank you
diosquidexly - gracias - thank you
Nanisha - sabroso - delicious
scarulu - bonita - pretty
lula'a - oaxaca - oaxaca
guendarau - comida - food
tu lalo - como te llamas - what is your name?
gudan - ven, vente - come here
padelii - de donde eres - where are you from?
nizado - mar - sea
niza - agua - water
ubdo - platano - banana
mbich - rana - frog
gueta - tortilla - tortilla
xhaiba - cielo - sky
beuu - luna - moon
gubidxel - sol - sun
nadxieli - te quiero - i love you - ich liebe dich
na - yo - I
li - tu - you
lube - el o elle - he or shee
lanu - nosotros - we
lacabe - ellos - they
latu - ustedes - you (plural)
naroba - grande - big
winni - chico - small
chunco - youngest child
ben da' - pescado - fish
bendahua - camaron - shrimp
na' nishe - delicioso - delicious
Zapoteco de Yalalag
yet - tortillanis - agua
za - frijol
wi - naranjo
yellay - platano - banana
ka - no
yai - palo
senso - salud
aushkayo - gracias
Tlalixtac
nazie - sabroso - delicious
???
nachsu - como estas - how are you?shua chia - estoy bien - i am fine
iPadio
Quotes
"To a Zapotec the celestial bodies are not inanimate. They are not referred to with the inanimate pronoun. The Stars and the Moon are referred to with the third person animal pronoun. The Sun is referred to with the third person respect pronoun. In men's speech this pronoun is reserved for women of higher social rank than the speaker and for God. Of course, it is possible for a noun to belong to a gender class to which it is not semantically suited. But such is not the case for the word for Sun. Its gender affiliation is not accidental, but is semantically based.
The full Texmelucan Zapotec expression for Sun is 'doo güidz.' 'güidz' is the word that is cognate with the words for Sun in other Zapotecan languages. It occurs in only one other expression: the word for Mexico City, 'ru-güidz', which means literally 'the mouth of the Sun.'"
Often the Sun is simply referred to in the shortened form of the expression, as 'doo.' 'doo' refers to the class of supernatural beings I translate 'fairy.' For 'The Seven Kinds of Rain' and 'Matlaziwa' I argued that this word is an ancient word for God. Even today some people treat the Sun as a God. They put out flowers and light candles before it. They cross themselves when the Sun comes up, and they cross themselves when it goes down."
-Charles H. Speck, Zapotec Oral Literature"
Folklore Texts in Mexican Indian Languages IV, Pages 171-172
Misc
Conquista de la Sierra
Cuento tradicional en zapoteco de la Sierra Sur - Cuento del Conejo y del Coyote
Guelaguetza Spot in Zapotec Language
https://twitter.com/mimuseoindigena/status/827231108538462208